India › Mumbai Hotels › Orchid Review
Updated: January 13, 2022
By Santorini Dave
Essentials
• Location: Vile Parle East, close to the domestic airport terminal.
• Hotel website: orchidhotel.com
• Hotel phone: +91 (0)22 2616 4040
• Check prices for The Orchid
Orchid – Likable, functional, convenient to the airport, and much better than just a transit hotel.
Offering almost five-star amenities at three-star rates, The Orchid is instantly welcoming and very pleasant. With semi-separate sitting areas, rooms are surprisingly spacious, while the plush suites in another wing are worth more than just a brief overnight stay. The facilities, which are much more impressive than most neighboring rivals’, include a rooftop pool (with a bright and breezy café/bar alongside) and traditional museum dedicated to ‘mothers’. Winning international awards for ‘environmental sensitivity’, The Orchid is quietly set back from the main road and surrounded by trees that are havens for the prolific parrots. While only minutes by car/taxi from either airport terminal, the hotel is unaffected by plane (or traffic) noise.
See Also
- Best Hotels in Mumbai
- Mumbai Airport Hotels
- Where to Stay in Mumbai
- Mumbai Hotel Map
- Best Time to Visit Mumbai
Orchid – The Location
- Address: 70-C Nehru Road, just off the Western Express Highway, in the northern suburb of Vile Parle East. Very close to the domestic airport Terminal 1B (Santa Cruz).
- Area: Set back quietly in a cul-de-sac, about 100m from Nehru Road. A comparatively quieter and cleaner area of Mumbai packed with transit hotels and high-rise office blocks. Most domestic flights actually leave from the international airport, so the area is rarely affected by plane noise.
- How to Get There: Less than 10 minutes by car/taxi from the international airport Terminal 2 (which also handles most domestic flights, 5 km), and even closer to Terminal 1B (Santa Cruz), which caters to some budget domestic airlines. Get a taxi at a pre-paid counter from either terminal. Or arrange a free hotel transfer to/from Terminal 1B. The Andheri train station and connected metro station are 15 minutes (3 km) away.
- Handy to: Domestic and International airport terminals.
Orchid – The Basics
- Guests: Mostly caters to transit passengers, especially with late arrivals or early departures.
- Views: Some rooms face the atrium, but better views (of other buildings) are from rooms that face outwards.
- Private Pools/Jacuzzis: The Presidential Suites feature jacuzzis (very rare among rivals).
- Extras: Free transfers to/from the domestic Santa Cruz Airport Terminal 1B.
- How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
- Phone: +91 (0)22 2616 4040
- Email: res@orchidhotel.com
- Website: orchidhotel.com
Orchid – Amenities
- Pool: Sizable pool on the rooftop with bistro/bar alongside (evenings only). Breezy, and dramatic views of the airport. Shallow section for the young ones.
- Spa: Reasonable spa down some steps from the pool area.
- Fitness Center: Small, but probably enough equipment to keep users happy.
- For Families: Cots. Baby items available on request. Baby-sitting.
- Other Facilities: Money-changing. Business services. Beauty Salon. Laundry. Travel desk. ‘Aai Museum’.
Orchid – Food and Drink
- Restaurants: Boulevard – Open 24 hours for casual dining. Also, buffet (Western) breakfasts. In the atrium with an unusual décor of canvas and carpets. • Mostly Grills – Aptly-named for mouth-watering kebabs. Colorful setting on the rooftop alongside the pool, with bar attached. Dinner only. • South of Vindhyas – At the lobby level for traditional vegetarian cuisine in a tasteful setting. Fascinating murals and views of voracious parrots outside. Also, buffet (vegetarian) breakfasts. • The Gourmet Shop – Coffee shop serving tasty breads, cakes, and other pastries.
- Bar: Merlin’s Karaoke Bar – Always heaps of fun, especially during the extended happy hours and when live bands play. Open until 3 am.
- Breakfast: Included in most rates. Choice of Western buffet breakfast or Indian-style vegetarian buffet breakfast in separate restaurants.
- Room Service: Available 24/7.
Orchid – Rooms
- Room Types: Orchid Deluxe Rooms • Orchid Executive Rooms • Orchid Premiere Rooms • Orchid Club Rooms • Orchid Mayflower Suites • Presidential Suites • List of all Rooms
- Smoking Rooms: Smoking rooms available if requested.
- Best Room: With a separate bedroom and living area, each Presidential Suite also has 2 features very rare in any hotel in Mumbai: a jacuzzi and massage chair.
- For Families: Most rooms can easily accommodate families of three. Ask the helpful management about fitting in a family of four into a suite.
Orchid – Local Transport
- Walking: Comparatively pleasant area for walking, but little of interest nearby for tourists. The gates of the nearby Sahara Star hotel (see below) face a lane packed with stalls and other facilities for local workers. Crowded, but a fascinating slice of city life.
- Public Transport: Nothing of any use to tourists. The nearest Mumbai Metro station is Western Express Highway (3 km), but has limited connectivity till about 2024 when several other routes open.
- Taxis & Auto-rickshaws: The usual black-and-yellow taxis are oddly rare in the immediate area. Plenty of auto-rickshaws along the road, and they usually use their meters too. Rides can also be booked using Uber and Ola apps.
The Orchid – What’s Nearby?
Best Nearby Restaurants & Bars
-
Not a great variety; mostly stalls selling street food to local workers. Happily, a wonderful selection is inside the extraordinary Sahara Star hotel. Turn left from the gates of The Orchid and continue for another minute or two on foot (250m). Most bistros/bars at the Sahara Star face the gardens, ‘lagoon’, and ponds. Among 8 options are:
- The Earth Plate – Extra-long menu, including Italian and Mexican dishes. Massive room and open-plan kitchens add to the appeal. Open 24 hours.
- Namak – Traditional South Indian cuisine with contemporary flavors and chic décor.
- Mabruk – Award-winning Lebanese cuisine and likable casual setting. Dinner only.
- Manuhaar – Bright and cheerful setting, it’s renowned for authentic thalis (set meals in steel plates).
- The Lagoon Lounge – Incredible position within the hotel grounds. Coffees, beers, and light meals.
Nearby Shops
- A few shops for locals near the gates of The Orchid and nearby Sahara Star hotels, but nothing much else.
Orchid – The Hotel
All Mumbai Hotel Reviews
- Abode Bombay
- Bentley
- Citizen
- Gordon House
- InterContinental Marine Drive
- Juhu Residency
- Hotel Kemps Corner
- Oberoi
- Radisson Andheri MIDC
- Ramada Plaza Palm Grove
- Sahara Star
- Shalimar
- Taj Mahal Palace
- Trident Nariman Point
Read More
- Best Hotels in Mumbai
- Mumbai Airport Hotels
- Where to Stay in Mumbai
- Mumbai Hotel Map
- Best Time to Visit Mumbai
- Best Hotels in Agra
- Where to Stay in Agra
- Best Time to Visit Agra
- Best Hotels in Bengaluru
- Where to Stay in Bengaluru
- Best Time to Visit Bengaluru
- Best Hotels in Chennai
- Where to Stay in Chennai
- Best Time to Visit Chennai
- Best Hotels in Delhi
- Delhi Airport Hotels
- Where to Stay in Delhi
- Best Time to Visit Delhi
- Best Hotels in Goa
- Best Family Hotels in Goa
- Where to Stay in Goa
- Best Time to Visit Goa
- Best Hotels in Jaipur
- Where to Stay in Jaipur
- Best Time to Visit Jaipur
- Best Hotels in Jodhpur
- Where to Stay in Jodhpur
- Best Time to Visit Jodhpur
- Best Hotels in Kolkata
- Where to Stay in Kolkata
- Best Time to Visit Kolkata
About Santorini Dave
Santorini Dave was started in 2011 by a guy who loved Greece, travel, and great hotels. We're now a small team of writers and researchers on a mission to deliver the most helpful travel content on the internet. We specialize in Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, and Greece and recommend the best hotels, best neighborhoods, and best family hotels in top destinations around the world. We also make hotel maps and travel videos. I can be contacted at dave@santorinidave.com.